reputation
by changingapart
Summary: The night had started off innocently enough. Everyone had good intentions. Everyone was having fun. But if that was how the whole night had gone, Betty wouldn't be here. She wouldn't have run. She wouldn't have left everything behind.


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 _All the liars are calling me one_

 _Nobody's heard from me for months_

Each time she closed her eyes, she imagined something much different. Much more Disney fairytale. And much less real life. It wasn't like Betty Cooper hadn't gotten out. Upon graduation she had taken all the money she had saved throughout high school and moved to Colorado. She had no ties there, but Denver seemed just big enough for her to be able to blend into the background and be a nobody, but it wasn't so big that she'd drown.

She had convinced Archie to drive her to New York City to board a plane to Denver and made him promise to keep it all a secret. She didn't tell Veronica. She didn't tell Polly. She didn't tell Jughead. He - in a way - was the one who deserved it the most. Especially after the last time they saw one another.

"Betty."

The sound of her name was enough to break her train of thought. She was somewhat thankful for the interruption. Betty had a tendency to spiral and once she started spiraling she reverted to old habits. The crescent shaped scars on her palms remind her of those so called 'habits' daily.

She lifted her head to find her boss staring sternly at her, expecting her to return to her job.

"I know you're from hillbilly fuck New York, but here we have money to make."

Betty looked up at her boss and smiled. It was a fake smile that had been perfected from year of living with her lunatic of a mother. The skates weren't going to sharpen themselves.

She'd been working at a skating rink from almost the minute she landed in Denver. It wasn't necessarily a bad job. All she had to do was schedule children's parties and clean the returned rental skates, but it definitely wasn't what she thought she'd be doing at this point in her life. Sure, she was only 19 but she thought she'd be in New York or Los Angeles studying something in school. Instead she was doing what Cooper's do best. Running away from their problems and making them someone else's.

It was nearing closing time and suddenly she felt the weight of all the secrets she'd been keeping inside compressing her chest. She knew it was just anxiety, but it made her feel so isolated. She finished up her remaining task and closed the rink. The usual walk home did,nothing to calm her nerves. It just pushed them to the surface.

These are the moments she wished she had Veronica's infallible words of encouragement. Veronica always knew how to get Betty to see the fault(s) in her ways and help her correct them. Or at least help her accept them. But that wasn't her life anymore. No Veronica. No friends. No one to help her through the darkest parts of herself. There was one thing she was grateful for though, she had no enemies.

Before she knew it she was at her door and began to fumble around her purse for her keys. Scratches behind the door only fueled her desire to find the keys. Beau - her cat -

was hungry. He was her saving grace and she spoiled him dearly. His few extra pounds were a reflection of that. When Betty couldn't bring herself to eat she'd give an extra helping to her cat to help herself feel less wasteful. Less pathetic. Less broken.

~BC ~ BC ~ BC

 _Betty hadn't even wanted to go, but a Blossom's requests were impossible to ignore. Betty never was for the party scene, in fact she hated them. The overbearing noise, the drunken stumbling, the fact that no matter how many people she was around she felt even more alone. But tonight was Cheryl and Jason's graduation party and Cheryl didn't take rejection kindly. In fact, she didn't take it at all._

 _The party hadn't even started an hour ago and most of Riverdale's student body population was tipsy. A few - ie Reggie Mantle - were already drunk. Betty was still on her first drink, she had to be home tonight. Although Betty was legally an adult Alice insisted that Betty was home before 1. Usually Betty had no problem meeting that expectation. It was just one to add to the growing list that had started before she had even been born._

 _Two hands came around her waist and she instantly jumped. She turned around to face the person and was greeted by Jughead._

" _Jug!" Betty said, "you scared me."_

 _Jughead laughed, "I'm sorry. But you're just so easy to scare."_

 _Now that he was really laughing she playfully hit him on the arm. They finally calmed down and Jughead suggested that they go talk to Archie. Archie was standing with the rest of the football team who seemed to be inhaling a whole keg of beer._

 _As they walked up Archie was saying "Let's play some beer pong." All the guys agreed enthusiastically. Archie saw Betty and Jughead and instantly said "You two should join!" He watched Betty's face wrinkle in disinterest, but Archie insisted "C'mon it'll be fun! Have some fun for once you two."_

 _Jughead then replied with a wink aimed towards Betty, "Oh, we have plenty of fun trust me. I'd love yet another oppurtunity to kick your butt Andrew's."_

~BC ~ BC ~ BC

The night had started off innocently enough. Everyone had good intentions. Everyone was having fun. But if that was how the whole night had gone, Betty wouldn't be here. She wouldn't have run. She wouldn't have left everything behind.


End file.
